Chicopee

Chicopee, city, Hampden County, southwestern Massachusetts, at the junction of the Chicopee and Connecticut rivers, adjoining Springfield; settled about 1641, incorporated as a city 1890. Sporting goods and electrical machinery are major manufactures. The College of Our Lady of the Elms (1928) and Westover Air Force Base are here. Industry in the city began with the production of iron when blast furnaces were built at the falls of the Chicopee River in 1786. During the 19th century, the city was known for its textiles, weapons, farm implements (many were invented here), bronze statuary, and bicycles. The city is named for the Chicopee River; chicopee is a Native American word meaning “birch bark place.” Population 55,112 (1980); 56,632 (1990); 54,653 (2000); 54,680 (2005 estimate).